Women's Circle has adult spelling bee to instill love of literacy

Literacy Week was celebrated Sept. 9 to 13 at the Boynton-Beach based Women's Circle Inc., a nonprofit agency established in 2000 to help lower income women achieve financial stability by providing education and job development.

The agency, founded by Sister Lorraine Ryan, a former medical missionary in India, and Sister Joan Carusillo, serves 500 women in Palm Beach County and offers computer classes, support-group sessions, counseling, health education, drug addiction prevention, job development and placement, and English language classes.

"We primarily serve women to help them improve their lives, because women bear the burden of raising children, taking care of themselves and their families," Ryan said.

The center also offers citizenship programs and is developing a health literacy program. Many of their students struggle with lack of English skills and proficiency but also with illiteracy in their own language.

"These skills are necessary for them to get jobs and to deal with everyday life in the USA. Our goal is to assist these women to achieve their potential through assistance with education and career development," associate director Helena Wallis said.

Nadege Cirius, 52, a married mother of a 16-year-old high school student, recently joined the English language and computer skills classes. She's employed at a fast-food kiosk in the mall and hopes one day to earn her GED, get a better job and earn more money.

Originally from Haiti, Cirius grapples with her English fluency as does another student in the class, Marie Clotilde Dalmacy, 46, who came from Haiti two years ago.

The two students took place in a spelling bee, struggling to spell English words such as wastebasket, drizzling and wrist.

Dalmacy never finished high school in Haiti, but wants to become a nurse. She studied for her home health aid certificate and hopes to improve her English skills and obtain a high school diploma.

ESOL teacher and Boynton Beach resident Cindy Taylor volunteers at the center twice a week. The Massachusetts native moved to Florida in 2001 after retiring and found her calling at the Women's Circle.

She tells the 10 women sitting around the table, "Read something every day. I don't care if you read the comics, just pick up something and read it. Education is the key to success."

Education coordinator Pamela George read a children's book to the class, "Hope for Haiti," by Jesse Joshua Watson, picking out the bigger words and explaining them to the adult students.

Yolene Decime, 46, finished high school in Haiti and went on to professional school to study to be a secretary. Because her English skills are not up to par, she said she believes she cannot find the same type of job here.

Although she has computer skills and professional experience, Decime earned her Certified Nursing Assistant certificate and is currently looking for a job in that field.

"If I can improve my English, I can find a better job," said Decime, who is here with her husband, but whose two teenage children remain in Haiti.

Visit womenscircle.org or call 561-244-7627. The Women's Circle is at 912 SE Fourth St. in Boynton Beach. The Women's Circle is accepting donations of material to make clothing, cash donations, school supplies, paper and notebooks, among other items.